5 New Years Resolutions Small Business Owners Should Keep

By now you’ve probably made a list of New Year's resolutions and already crossed a few off your list. And it’s still January. Don’t worry; you aren’t alone. Only about 8 percent of us keep our resolutions every year, according to the University of Scranton.

Defy that depressing statistic this year by sticking to these five resolutions from small business expert Lauri Flaquer.

#1. Embrace change

Don’t be afraid to change things up this year. “Look at your opportunities to grow and look at what needs to stay the same,” recommends Flaquer, owner of Saltar Solutions, a business consultancy in St. Paul, Minn. “Invite change and growth will follow.”

#2. Evaluate your performance

How good of a job are you doing? Not sure? “Many managers live in their own little worlds and are not always able to see things the same way outsiders see them,” she says. Put together a group of people whom can interdepedently tell you the truth about how things are going and considering asking your employees for 360-degree reviews.

#3. Make work fun

“Strive to be a company that your employees rave to their friends about,” says Flaquer. Focus on upcoming holidays—like Mardi Gras—and spring for a cake, beads and masks for the whole office, she recommends. Or host a monthly birthday party.

“It really doesn’t have to cost a lot of money,” she says. “I know a company that has a barbecue every Tuesday where one person brings in all the food for the department. Each person has to bring in food about four times a year, but they get to eat for free during every other Tuesday.”

#4. Clear clutter

You know that piece of inventory that has been sitting in the corner of the break room for the last two years? Get rid of it and don’t look back. If you haven’t used it, you don’t need it. The same goes for the mountains of vendor magazines piled up in your file cabinet, collecting dust.

Parting ways with your office clutter will make you feel better. “Clutter holds you back from having new ideas, fresh thinking and getting around your workspace,” she says. “Task your employees with clearing how their workspaces, too. Everyone will breathe a huge sigh of relief.”

#5. Join a mastermind group

A mastermind group is a collection of people that get together to discuss a business topic and look for solutions to problems. Flaquer recommends small business owners either create their own group with other local business owners or join one online.

“Look for a group of people who are more successful than you,” she says. “Those are the people who will push your forward and help you achieve your goals.”